Chika Uwazie’s TalentBase: How Technology Is Changing How We See HR

When people are asked what they think of Human Resources personnel, the first thing most people pull out is their hire fire capabilities. Over the years, HR practitioners have tried to explain at every opportunity, how their job transcends just that and other compliance related roles, to include a lot more, but people have not caught on because of those explanation. Kudos to the technology revolution, people are learning at an even faster rate and exploring more territories that were formerly ignored.

So how exactly has technology changed how we see Human Resources?

Data & Recruitment
Yes, we have always known that recruiting is the job of Human Resource managers, but what has really changed over the years is the way it has been done. We live in the era of big data and digital tools. What we have known recruitment to be is: job ad in the papers, written applications, physical interviews…and you either get the job or you don’t.

Today, there is LinkedIn, where employers seek out specific candidates and the Twitter trend of potential employees doing the job ads themselves with hashtags like #MyEmployerMightBeOnYouTL.

These days, job posts are going on Twitter and Facebook instead of TV or radio, interviews are happening over Google Hangout and Skype, and job decisions are becoming more data driven. Resume reviews are done with technology tools, and even when candidates are not offered a job; there are systems in place to retarget them when other offers come up.

New Work Tools & Increased Productivity 
Technology has definitely increased employee productivity.  How else can you explain a particular workforce doing same job they have been used to for ten years – at ten times the speed they have been working at? Technology has provided Human Resource personnel with more years of increasing the potential of their teams using growing number of easy to use tools. Given that HR practitioners are at the forefront of compliance procedures, and now have cloud storage available, the bulky files they have had to deal with have drastically reduced, making the job they do even simpler.

Mobile Technology & Improved Request Response
Human Resources are the go-to business function when employees have questions about things like payroll, or new company policies. Usually, these requests can be distracting and sometimes take even lengthy periods to respond to, but with Payroll Technology, HR practitioners can be more proactive by putting up answers to possible payroll questions before they are asked. This is because unlike the regular paycheck format, payroll software gives more opportunities to include information as paper conservation isn’t a concern. More so, most businesses utilise mobile apps, which means HR managers can use pockets of time to respond to requests without having to be at their desk.

More Accurate Reward Systems
One major headache technology has solved for HR personnel has to be the issue of how rewards and promotions are carried out.  Employees are quick to call out marginalization when they feel a particular person doesn’t deserve what they have been given. With technology, this process has become as transparent as possible. HR software provides the opportunity to track everything about employees, from punctuality (clock-in times), task completion rate, even sales records with regard to commission based employees. With these very accurate records, HR managers can prove every decision they make.

Employee Engagement
Contrary to popular verdict, hiring and firing is not the major function of Human Resources personnel, employee engagement is. HR managers work round the clock to find ways to get employees more interested in their work, and the people they work with. What technology has done is extend the possibilities for this. Employee retreats, before now, needed loads of planning and a day off. With technology, HR can develop games, activities and more that staff enjoy and deliver them to their mobile devices and not disrupt their everyday plans. E-Learning is another engagement opportunity and businesses are harnessing this for employee growth as well as revenue growth.

Millenials already make up 70% of today’s workforce, so it is almost inevitable for businesses not to use the tech tools available to them. Research says millennial attention span is on the decrease; so while these tools exist, getting smart and innovative when using them is what matters.